The Fountain of Youth
by Willow Breeze the first
Summary: Gilbert was a bandit who's life's goal was to find the fountain of youth and he does find it. Unfortunately there's something in his way and that something is Roderich, the guardian of the fountain. But overtime they grow closer than either imagined.


Gilbert was something of a bandit and was searching for the fountain of youth. He came across a huge forest with a massive tree in the centre. It was as wide as a village with a huge dome of cherry blossom flowers that covered almost the whole forest. The rivers in the forest and the dew and even the inside of the leaves had a silver hint to it, almost glowing. It was beautiful, the whole forest was beautiful, alive with light and life.

Gilbert tried to climb the tree. It was like climbing up a cliff it was so big. The whole thing kept glowing with unnatural light and pure silver liquid trickled down the tree in the cracks in the bark. As he climbed up, he sang the song about the fountain of youth "Take a sip and you'll live another ten years, take a good gulp and won't age, drink your fill then you'll never die." Gilbert knew that there was a guardian at the fountain, a woman and he was prepared to fight. He managed to climb over the lip and there it was, a silver pool of liquid in a dip of mossy ground, the liquid spilled out of the pool at certain points and cherry blossoms floated in it. The whole thing came from a golden chalice, resting upon a marble pedestal. The silver, no light, liquid spilled out of the elegant goblet. It was the fountain but where was the guardian?

Gilbert took a step towards the fountain and a hand gripped his arm. He turned to see an ethereal young man with dark hair and glasses concealing his eyes, the guardian.

The guardian said calmly "Leave this place now, fore though you should not have come I will grant you this mercy to allow you to live, if you leave."

Gilbert smirked "So you just stay up here? What for? Ain't it boring?"

The guardian's eyebrows furrowed "My purpose is to keep filthy bandits like you away from the forest of Life."

He took a step back and the sunlight was no longer reflected off his glasses and Gilbert saw the guardian's violet eyes . The guardian then pushed his hands forwards. A blast of air slammed into Gilbert blasting him out of the tree. Gilbert's cloak got caught on a branch and he didn't die. Gilbert stared down at the trees way below him, then he looked back up the Tree to where the fountain was. He began climbing up the tree again.

The guardian was surprised to hear the song echoing up the tree again. He leant over to see Gilbert climbing up the tree. He sent another gust of wind knocking Gilbert off the tree. Gilbert landed on a huge, soft mushroom.

He began climbing up the tree, singing the song. Again the guardian knocked him off and again Gilbert climbed up, this time making it up to the fountain and giving a casual "Hi" before being blasted off. This cycle kept on happening again and again

"So, what's your name?" Gilbert shouted up to the top of tree, as he climbed.

He ducked to avoid the blast of wind aimed at him. Gilbert lost his footing and started to fall but then landed on a branch. "Weird" he muttered. "I didn't think there was a branch here."

Gilbert scrambled up the tree. "Mine's Gilbert." He called out, continuing the conversation. "So do you want to tell me yours?" He had to cling on to a vine to make sure he wasn't knocked off the tree. "You really don't seem to want to talk, huh?"

Gilbert managed to haul himself up to the fountain to see the guardian glaring at him. "Come on, it's just your name. Tell me!"

The guardian prepared a wind strike but stopped in surprise at Gilbert's next comment "Until you tell me your name, I'm calling you 'Purple Princess'"

The guardian was aghast and spluttered out "You will do no such thing."

Gilbert grinned. "There's no reason for me not to." The guardian flushed in anger. "Unless you tell me your name!"

The guardian glared and spat out "Roderich." Them a the wind slapped Gilbert out of the tree but as he fell he called out "Thank you."

Roderich glared at where Gilbert had been.

"Why do you keep doing this?" Roderich asked in disbelief. "Why would you want to never die so much? It gets so dull, having all the time in world. Why would you want that?"

Gilbert gave him a grin "Well, I figure if you live long enough _something_ interesting must happen. If you have a shitty life then maybe if you live long enough it'll get better."

Roderich gave him a doubtful look "But what if it doesn't? What if your life remains awful and then you don't even have death as a refuge?"

Gilbert shrugged "I dunno. I guess I'll have to find out."

He reached for the goblet and Roderich pushed him off the tree.

"So do you have anything you like to do?" Gilbert asked brightly.

"What do you mean?" Roderich said interestedly.

"You know, hobbies? Likes? Interests?" Gilbert tried to explain. "I like listening." Roderich said softly. "Listening?"

"Yes, To the forest, To the animals" He narrowed his eyes " to the thieves who come searching." "Oh so am I not special." He pretended to be hurt. "I'm so upset. I thought you liked me."

Roderich gave him a look "Why would you think that?" He said teasingly.

"I dunno because I'm awesome." He gave him a half grin.

"It is true that I don't normally talk to people. So I suppose you are special" Roderich smirked "if you really need your ego stroked."

"Of course I need my ego stroked. Have you never met me before?" Gilbert said, trying to sling his arm the other man when suddenly Roderich remembered what he was supposed to be doing and blasted him off the tree.

"Day 12 of climbing up the tree?" Sang Gilbert.

"You keep count?" Roderich asked in surprise.

"Of course! I want to remember how long I've known you." Gilbert laughed.

"You humans are so strange. I have been remiss in my duties if it has been 12 days of you being here-."

"Admit it, you like having me around." Gilbert interrupted. "I like having you around. Besides you can't get rid of me!"

"Hmmmm that's true, I can't seem to get rid off you, the forest keeps saving you and I'm not sure why?" Roderich said, more to himself then anyone else.

Gilbert beamed "It's because the Forest knows of my _awesomeness_."

Roderich raised an eyebrow. "I am not sure that 'awesome' is something the Forest cares about."

"Well then the Forest forest isn't awesome!" Gilbert said cockily and then a branch smacked his gut and sending him flying off the tree with a cry of "Still not awesome!"

It wasn't as though they were totally alone. Once when Gilbert was climbing up the tree when he saw another man higher up get slapped by a vine the width of a house.

The man slammed against the ground far below with a blast. Dust exploded up from the force of him hitting the ground.

Gilbert clung to the branch he was on. When the shock died down he smiled. Roderich was right, the forest was saving him.

"When I look in most humans' minds I see greed but your mind is just full of hope. Why are you so hopeful?" Roderich asked. Gilbert stared at him.

"Wait! You can read my mind?" Gilbert said, aghast.

Roderich merely nodded, not understanding why this was surprising. "It's why I gave you a chance to leave when you first reached the fountain. I could see you weren't awful. Still uncivilised, though."

Gilbert cocked a half-grin. "Wouldn't be me if I was civilised."

"You still haven't answered my question." Roderich stated. "Why are you so hopeful?"

Gilbert and Roderich stared into each others eyes, Gilbert opened his mouth and said slowly "Because ...if I don't have hope... I don't have anything... My life isn't great but maybe... just maybe if I can live long enough, I'll find something to make it better... I just have to hope."

Roderich stared at him. Gilbert smiled at him but it wasn't his usual grin, this smile was bittersweet and full of disappointment but it was still a smile.

Roderich slowly led Gilbert to the ledge and looked at him one more time "I am glad that you haven't died yet." He smiled, it was the first time Gilbert had seen him smile and his heart fluttered as the breeze blew the guardian's ebony hair, petals fluttered around the two of them around with the light of the fountain glowing up beneath them. Gilbert wanted to lean forwards and kiss Roderich but then he pushed him off the tree.

Gilbert and Roderich weren't sure when it became normal for Gilbert was living up by the fountain. It was peaceful and Gilbert didn't even really think of the fountain he was just enjoying his life for the first time in his shitty life. Besides anytime he made a move to take a sip from the goblet Roderich would blast him off the tree and he'd have to climb all the way back up. The forest was so beautiful. It was peaceful and for the first time Gilbert was at peace and Roderich wasn't lonely.

Once Roderich was going through Gilbert's things out of curiosity when he pulled out a flute. He turned in confusion to the albino, holding up the metal tube. "Gilbert, what is this?"

Gilbert glanced up from the food he was eating. "Oh that's my flute."

Roderich examined it. "What's it for?"

Gilbert walked over and took the flute. "It's for music. Er, you know what music is right?"

Roderich gave him a disdainful look. "Of course I know what music is and I can tell you that your 'instrument' won't make real music."

Gilbert gave him an annoyed look. "What do you know? Listen to this." He raised the flute to his lips and played.

He was rather out of practice so he couldn't do any complicated piece but it sounded nice. Roderich watched in silence and when Gilbert finished and looked up he saw a huge wooden thing. It reminded him of a table but there were buttons by a chair and the main body seemed hollow except for strings. Gilbert poked one of the strings but nothing happened.

"What is it?" He asked bewildered.

Roderich sat down by the buttons and began to play. The music was like nothing Gilbert had heard before, it was as though several instruments were being played at once. The sound rose and deepened, the pitch and pace varying. There was emotion to the music that Gilbert never had in his music. It felt far deeper and more personal than anything Gilbert played. It was just better.

Roderich finished and stood up, smiling smugly. "It's called a piano."

Gilbert blinked "It's awesome!"

It was a group. They came to the fountain too fast for Roderich to properly assess them. When he held out his hands to unleash his power one of the group gave a feral smile and threw something down. Demons blood, a visceral poison. It smashed into him and Roderich screamed as the damage was done to his body and the bandit raised his sword for the killing blow. Gilbert rushed forwards his own sword swinging to intercept the blow, countering he stabbed straight through the thief. A different one was reaching for the goblet, Gilbert rushed to intercept him. He kept fighting until he heard a scream.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

A blast of pure magic ripped through the tree. A vine wrapped around Gilbert and it was the only reason he didn't fall. The bandits were slammed out of the tree far, far into the sky but Roderich kept screaming.

"No, no, Roderich !" Gilbert yelled. Roderich was bleeding, a gaping wound in his chest from one of the bastards swords.

"No, no, no! I can still save you." He turned to see the goblet. "Here drink this. You can live. It'll be okay."

Gilbert poured it into Roderich's mouth and he leaned forwards and kissed him. Gilbert's mouth was full of light and the elixir of life that Roderich should have drunk was as the guardian pushed it into his mouth.

Gilbert swallowed.

Regret instantly filled Gilbert and he tried to push the drink to the other man.

"No stop" Roderich gurgled holding up a hand to stop him. "I've already drunk and it won't save me now."

Gilbert felt tears prick in his eyes "you've already drunk? But that doesn't matter I can still save you.."

"I drank... when the last ... guardian died... The fountain bring life to the forest and ... and all the magical.. creatures. It doesn't make you immortal... it makes you one of them... and you're duty is to ... to .. to guard it... the forest chose you.. and now... now I'm not needed." Roderich whispered.

"You are needed."Whispered Gilbert "I need you. I've found my something and it's you." The tears were falling down his face landing on Roderich's lifeless face and Gilbert wept.

The fountain came from a golden chalice, resting upon a marble pedestal. The liquid made of light spilled out of the golden goblet. It was the fountain but where was the guardian?

Elizaveta took a step towards the fountain and a hand gripped her arm. She turned to see an ethereal young man with pure white hair and ruby red eyes, the guardian. The guardian held one hand up and on his back was a sword.

"Hey, you gotta go. I'll give you one chance to leave before I send you flying. Nothing personal, I just have a duty, ya know?"

Elizaveta stared at him. "I travelled to find the fountain, do you truly think I'm going to leave?" She drew her own weapon "And I will fight."

The guardian shrugged "Okay"

A blast of air slammed into Elizaveta slamming her out of the tree. Elizaveta screamed as the sky and the trees whirled dizzyingly around her as she flew though the sky, when she would hit the ground she'd die. She screwed up her eyes. After so long searching and so many adventures was this how she'd die?

She felt something wrap around her stomach and opened her eyes to see a vine from the huge tree wrapped around her. The vine slowed her fall and gently placed her down at the foot of the tree. The light liquid trickled beside her. She dipped a finger in it and stared at the flowing liquid on her finger. She stared back up the tree and she began climbing up the tree again.

The cycle continued.

 **So this was a one-shot that was heavily based on the seven deadly sins. I suppose I don't have a creative bone in my body. But Ban always reminded me of Prussia.**

 **To be honest I'm not even that much of a fan of these tragic one-shots. It just seems to neat to have the character die at the end and never see the consequences but Elizaveta is meant to arrive like several centuries after the PruAus. Also yes, Elizaveta is the next guardian. Didn't want to outright state it because it's not that important.**

 **Lastly Merry Christmas everyone. I don't think I'll upload anything else before it so Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.**


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